Stringing needles



June E. E; WEST v 2, 5

v STRINGING NEEDLES original Filed Jan. 26, 1942 Patented June 4, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT -OFFICE Edward E. West, nichmonava. f

Original application January 26, 1942, Serial No. 428,281, now Patent No. 2,374,573, dated April 24, 1945. Divided and this'application April 23, 1943, Serial No. 484,261

9 Claims. l The present invention relates to improvements in stringing needles for stringing hemmed bags and this application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 428,281, filed January 26,

1942 and which has matured into Patent No.

2,374,573 April 24, 1945.

.The principal object of the present invention is to provide stringing needles having. improved means associated therewith for clamping strings therein to assure of the hemmed bags being ac curately strung.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bag stringing needle having a string receiving gap and associated gripping means with means for strengthening the needle at the string receiving gap to prevent breakage thereof at that point or area.

Another object is the provision ofstringing needles having improved string gripping means thereon and cooperating means for guiding and assuring of the uniform and accurate clamping of the strings.

Theseand other objects and advantages will be apparent as the specification is considered with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bag stringing needles and a portion of the operating structure therefor;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the stringing needles in string gripping position;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3of Figure 4, showing the needle in string receiving position;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

operating needle member and sleeve, and the guiding means therefor.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein similar reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, the nu xneral i denotes a stringing needle carriage of a bag stringing machine, not shown, for suppering a pair of spaced needles 25, hereinafter described, for threading draw strings through opposite sides of the hems of tobacco bagsand the like described and illustrated in my Patent No. 2,274,622 dated February 24, 1942. The stringing needle carriage l comprises a relatively flat, substantially rectangular needle, saddle or plate 2, sliclably sleeved on two spaced, horizontally positioned, guide tracks 3, suitably fixed at their outer ends in the top frame of the stringing machine, not shown.

Cir

The needles 25 comprisetwo relatively movable sleeve members 4, and two pointed members l as best shown in Fig. 5. Thus, the longitudinally extending, substantially parallel, hollow sleeve members 4, are rigidly supported at their rear ends by and fixed ina block or plate, 5, suitably securedby screws 6 to the top of the needle saddle 2, and twopointedneedle members l,slidably arranged within the sleeves 4 and projecting through the forward ends thereof, for reciprocating movement relative thereto. The forward enlarged-ends of the members], are pointed, as at 9, and. these pointed ends are preferably cut away on the tops thereof, as at it, to form openings or recesses for receivingdraw strings l5 therein. These recesses are formedwith flat bottom and end walls II and respectively and the forward ends of the sleeves 4 are squared to provide a flat end l4, which serves as one end wall of therecess. or .cut out portion It]. When the needle members I are moved forwardly through the sleeves 4, the relatively fiat rearwall I3; of the enlarged pointed portion 9 of each needle is moved away from and out of abutting engagement with the relatively flat forward ends M of the sleeves 4, as shown in Figure 3, Conversely movement of the needle members 1 rearwardly to Figure 2 position causes the relatively flat rear walls l3 of the needle points 9 to engage with or abut the fiat forward ends I4 of the sleeves. In thisposition the strings I 5 will be clamped in the openings or recesses l9, between the walls l2,and M, respectively.

, It is essential that the string receiving recesses "Ill be disposed and retained in the upper faces of the needles 25 at all times, in order to assure of the uniform and accurate positioning and gripping of the string therein. Furthermore considerable trouble has been experienced with the form of needles disclosed in my Patent No. 2,274,-

622 due to their tendency to break at the string receiving gap. In order to obviate this objection and to prevent relative rotation between the respective needle'parts 4 and 1, I provide vertically disposed-keys l6 integrally formed on the lower portion of the members or parts I. These keys taining the string receiving openings or recesses in proper position to receive the draw strings.

ciprocate the saddle, through the medium of acam, not shown, which operating mechanism is 7 described and illustrated in my Patent No.

The rear ends of the needle members 1' are fixed within a small block I8, mounted on the needle saddle 2 and movably connected by a pair of pins Hi to the saddle block 5, for slight sliding movement relative thereto. Thus the rear ends of thepins it are fixedin, the block l8 andthe forward ends thereoflslidably extendinto openings, not shown. formed in the block, 5. These openings are aligned withthe pins l9 and. are positioned toonesideof and above the fixedrear ends of the sleeves-41. as more-particularly shown in Fig.2.? of. my Patent 2,274,622. The block 18 is forwardly actuated against the tension of springs 25, mounted on, thepinsfls, andbearing at theiropposite ends against. the --saddle 5 and block. I 8 respectively, by. any suitahlemeans, such as a small cam 22 carried by oneendot a crank 2|, supported. in, a pair of journalblocks, 23, secured to the rear end of needle, saddle 2. The freeend of the crank .2]! is periodically actuated, by any suitablemeans, not shown, to. force, the cam 22 againstand reciprocate the needle block 18, relative to the needle-saddlez, in, an obvi:

ous manner. 7

When the endof astring, Isis fed across the needles, as illustrated in Figure 3, thesa-me is gripped, pulled out. to the length necessary for service as ad-rawlstringyand, cut or severed, by any suitable means, not shown, such, as that shown, and, described in. my Batent No. 2,274,622 hereinbefore referred, to, The needles then advanceand. carry the severedand gripped, string section through thebaghems. While thestring is being gripped. and pulled to thenecessary length, the needle saddle 2 and needles are being moved rearwardly along. tha'guidetra'cks 3. With the string I5. extending. across, the, needles, the saddle block I3 is movedforwardly by the. cam 22, and the needlemembers l. are causedto move correspondingly throughtheneedle sleeves 4 so that the needle points!) are movedaw'ay from, or out ofengagementwiththe squared ends-M of the sleeves 4; Ihe cam 22 thereupon moves out of engagement with. the, block l8 thus permitting the springs 29 to move the block l8 rearwardly and to retract the needle members, 1 in the sleeves 4. The flattened-rear ends l3-of the needle points 9 are thus moved into abutting engagement with theflattened forwardends IA of the sleeves, andrthe: string i5,- is. securely gr pp orclamped between the flat-Walls or jaws l2 and I4. The needlesaddle is then moved forwardly, by the arm |8, along the guide tracks 3, to carry the needles 25, in closed'gr-ippin-g position, through the horns of a bag; Asthestririg I5 is gripped by the needles, duringthefeeding of the same through the bag hems, the string cannot slip through or be withdrawn from the needles and the bag hems are, assuredof'being accurately and uniformly strung.

vide a string receiving recess, means for moving said shank portions through said cooperating 'sleeved tubes for clamping a string positioned in said recesses against the ends of said tubes, and guiding means on the bottom of said shank portions engageablewith means on the bottom of saidgtubes for guiding and holding said recesses in string receiving positions and for strengthening the string receiving portion of said shank portions.

2. A has stringing machine of the character described having a horizontally disposed stringing needle, said needle comprising apointed shank portion and acooperating tube sleeved oversaid shank portion, said shank portion'having a string receiving recess in the upperiface thereof, said recess havingasubstantially flat end wall and bottom wall, means for moving said shank portion through said cooperating sleeved tube whereby the string positioned in saidreoess' is engaged by the endof said tube and clamped in said recess, and guidin means on the bottom of said shank portion interengageable with means on the bottom of said tube for guidingand holding said recess in string receiving position and for strengthening the recessed portion of said shank portion. 1

3. A bag stringing needle mechanism of the character described having a stringing; needle, said needle comprising a pairof members, one 'sleevedover the other and shiftablelong'itudinally relative to each other, one of; said members havinga string receiving opening and the other-hav ing means cooperating therewith for clamping a string therein prior to the passage of thcneedlc through the hem of a bag, and mean longitudinally disposed on said members for holding-said string receiving opening in string receivingpcsition and for strengthening the needle, said last mentioned means being diametrically disposed on said pair of members with respect to said string receiving opening.

4. A. bag tringing needle mechanism ofthe character described havinga stringing needle, said needle comprising a pair-of members, one sleeved over the. other and shiftable longitudinally relative to each other, one ofsaid members having a string receiving opening and the other having means cooperatin -therewith iorclamping a strin therein priorto the passage-of the needle through the hem of abag, and means on said members diametrically disposedwith respect to said opening for holding aid string receiving opening in string receiving positionand for" strengthening the needle, said mean comprising interengaging means.

5. A bag stringing needle mechanism of the character described having. a. stringing needle,

. said needle comprising a pair of members, one

separate mean on said shank portion and cooperating member respectively for holding said opening in string receiving position, said last mentioned means being diametrically disposed on said shank portion and said cooperating member with respect to said string receiving opening for a strengthening said shank portion.

7. A has stringing needle mechanism of the character described having a stringing needle, said needle comprising a pair of members, one sleeved over the other and shiftable longitudinally relative to each other, one of said members having a rounded end, one of said member having a string receiving opening and the other having means cooperating therewith for clamping a string therein, and each of said members having a separate mean thereon for jointly holding said string receiving opening in string receiving position and for strengthening one of said members, each of said last mentioned separate means being diametrically disposed on said members with respect to said string receiving opening and so arranged that they will at no time overlie said opening.

8. A bag stringing needle comprising a pair of longitudinally interengaging members, one shiftable longitudinally relative to the other, one of said members having a string receiving openin and the other having means cooperating therewith for clamping a string therein, said interengaging member each having a separate means operative jointly to hold the string receiving opening in string receiving position and to strengthen one of said members, each of said last mentioned means being diametrically disposed on said members with respect to said string receiving opening and so arranged that they will at no time overlie said opening.

9. A bag stringing needle comprising a pair of longitudinally interengaging members, one shiftable longitudinally relative to the other, one of said members having a string receiving opening and the other having means cooperating therewith for clamping a string therein, said interengaging members each having a separate means comprising a projection and slot connection respectively operative jointly to hold the string receiving opening in string receiving position and to strengthen one of said members, each of said last mentioned means being diametrically disposed on said members "with respect to said string receiving opening and so arranged that they will at no time overlie said opening.

EDWARD E. WEST. 

